2017 Mahindra Monastery Escape Part 4: Jispa-Tso Moriri

Day 5 

I’ve never seen an engine temp gauge stay near ‘C’ for so long. It was 4am and the Thar’s engine started with a little hesitation. It needed a few seconds before idling normally and it was a similar story for most cars in the convoy. With the cars left to warm up, we quickly grabbed our breakfast boxes and with a quick pre-drive prayer, it was time to leave.

Our drive to Tso Moriri was going to be a taxing one and the first indication came no more than 5km into the drive. The road conditions started to deteriorate, with plenty of slush all about. My inability to deal with cold weather wasn’t helped by the Thar’s heater having mood swings, but then came a sight that was hard to believe. In the midst of this land before time was a lone cyclist pedalling his way up, wearing nothing more than some compression clothing. As the mighty Thar took a hard hit from a big pothole, so did my ego.

As daylight crept in, the sights before us continued to get more desolate and we couldn’t help but appreciate the nothingness of it all. The roads continued to curve ahead and narrow as they were, the quality did improve. A few bends got tricky to manage as we came across sections of black ice. With the air running thin, you’d have to be on the throttle while taking these upward hairpin turns. If the turbo spooled at the turn-in, it’s almost guaranteed to see the tail step out. Lightly “drifting” a Thar has a thrill of its own, so long as you appreciate the fact that the steering will communicate nothing to you.

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A few kilometres of juvenile fun later, we arrived at Baralacha La. Sitting nearly 5km above sea level, the pass presented one of the best views of the drive, though, on this leg, we’d come across sites that’d keep topping the other. 

Case in point, the breakfast stop at Darcha where the entire convoy lined up side by side with the mountains in the backdrop. Here, we also came to the aid of a biker who’d fallen severely ill, and needed a ride to Leh. So while we left for Tso Moriri, the service car would drive to Leh and regroup at the encampment the next day. At this stop, the temptation to drive the Thar proved too much for two ladies in the group. So, I obliged and swapped to the passenger’s seat in a Scorpio. My compadres were two neurosurgeons with a sense of humour that was as disturbing as mine. Through the jokes that I cannot mention, time flew by and we reached our lunch stop in Pang.

The stop was at a small dhaba that served up favourites like dal chawal, egg parathas and India’s most famous brand of noodles. The wholesome meal was just what the doctor ordered after a gruelling, almost entirely off-road drive. But there was more in store for us. 

We must’ve eaten a bit too much because the uphill drive after sure needed more throttle than before. Not much later, the drive up the Gata Loops began and these 21 bends were a prelude to the ever expanding landscape that approached. The miles passed us by as we approached the More Plains, a vast expanse of barren land big enough to fit a small city. I couldn’t help but feel a bit peeved. Not only were we driving on a magnificent road built by the Border Roads Organization (B.R.O), the sheer amount of open space made me think of how we had neither back home in Mumbai.

Flanked by mountain ranges on both sides, the plains are flat, desolate, and there’s a rough chance you will spot any life here. Consider yourself lucky if you come across a red fox or grazing donkeys. The euphoria was soon compounded, at least for me. “50km of gravel roads” came the heads-up on the PTT. “Rally stage!” went my brain. I got behind the Scorpio’s wheel after a brief bio break and the need to catch up with the convoy was the perfect excuse to push it hard. Even with the body roll, the Scorpio impressed with its stability at speed on a loose surface.

Soon enough, though, the rough terrain proved too jarring and left us desperately hoping for tarmac. We did get a few decent but short lived stretches of good roads. As day moved to dusk, the rough roads continued but the Tso Moriri Lake was finally in sight. Our home for two nights, the Nomadic Life camp, showed up on the horizon and the prospect of relaxing after the rough stuff was blissful. The next day was to take it easy and explore the local viewpoints. The weather would have some surprises for us (both pleasant and unpleasant) but the highlight turned out to be a story that made me realize the heart-chilling perils our army faces.

Also Read: 2017 Mahindra Monastery Escape Part 1: Delhi To Manali

Also Read: 2017 Mahindra Monastery Escape Part 2: Manali To Jispa

Also Read: 2017 Mahindra Monastery Escape Part 3: Jispa Acclimatization Day